Web Development 101

What is web development?

By definition, web development is a reference to any work that goes into the construction of a website; applying to anything from the creation of a small plain-text page to the development of a complex social network.

What is a website?

Websites are clusters of files stored on one or more servers that host the pages. These servers connect together through the World Wide Web. A web browser, serving as the client, is a computer program designed to load the website with the use of an Internet connection.

What are Internet Protocol (IP) addresses?

Internet Protocol (IP) is a set of interaction standards that govern networking and communication across the Internet. An IP address assigns a unique numerical label to each device connected to a network that utilizes the particular protocol for the purposes of communication.

It serves two primary functions: location addressing and interface identification. To access any website, the client must know its IP address which is designed to distinguish itself from the other billions of devices and websites that are connected through the Internet.

Despite this, the vast majority of internet users will attempt connection from either a search engine (e.g., Google) or through the use of a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) (e.g., https://www.youtube.com).

What is programming?

Programming refers to the writing of code for both applications and servers. Such tools are written in different languages due to the comprisal of grammatical, functional, and vocabulary rules for communication with computers at various levels.

Moreover, the tools include special punctuation, commands, and abbreviations that are only capable of being read by programs and devices. Although a multitude of languages exist for different optimizations and purposes, all fall into one of two key categories which include frontend and backend.

What is a frontend?

The client-side, or the frontend of a website, refers to the software that the end-user can visibly see and interact with. During the process in which information is transferred from a server to the browser, the frontend allows the website to continue its functionality without the need to continually communicate with the Internet.

Frontend code allows users to interact with the website by highlighting text, expanding or minimizing images, clicking buttons, and playing videos among many other features.

What is a backend?

The server-side, or the backend of a website is invisible to the end-user when they browse the Internet as it comprises the digital infrastructure with a set of symbols, numbers, and letters.

More programming languages exist for backend coding than a frontend for the fact that browsers only understand JavaScript (a specific language). However, the backend can be configured to comprehend almost any language that exists.

What are content management systems?

Content management systems (CMS) are web applications or programs utilized to manage and create content for the web. They are not identical or similar in any way to prebuilt site builders like Wix or Squarespace.

Although they are not required for the construction of a given website, CMS simplifies the process through the provisions of building blocks like addons and plugins that allow the creation of a structure with code. These are commonly implemented for blogging and e-commerce but prove useful for all classifications of websites.

Why is it important to understand web development?

Regardless of the role of a customer (if they are a business owner hiring a freelancer, a marketer pitching a vision to a development team, or a student learning the process as a career), understanding the basics of designing websites is critical in a world driven more and more by Information Technology.

The internet has evolved into the primary method of research, education, entertainment, and connection in the world. Furthermore, more than half of the global human population (comprised of 4.2 billion individuals) utilize the Internet on a regular basis. Web development continues to become an industry that is rapidly expanding, with the employment of developers expected to grow as much as 13 percent by the year 2028.